An interesting statistic regarding our economy.

[endarkenment]

"In the nine counties of the San Francisco Bay Area, the median price fell 11.6 percent to $548,000 compared to a year earlier and 17.6 percent from the region's peak median price of $665,000 last summer. Bay Area prices were essentially flat from January."
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gEw86y9UfttCi5fVcA0K4awUfqiQD8VCNPQ80

The median price was 665,000 for a home in the bay area. That is not the average price, it is the median price. The income level needed to afford the median house would have been about 150,000 at that time. "Middle Class" in the bay area means a family income level around that value.

The slow screwage of working families in this country that started in the late 70's and accelerated through the Reagan counter-reformation has worked its magic as intended. The reason why idiots can write books like The Millionaire Next Door is that having 1,000,000 in assets doesn't mean squat anymore. You are still one economic misfortune away from poverty.